Saturday, 30 May 2009

A beautiful day, so hot! But nice and cool in the unit. Managed to get a bit of prep done for the workshop next weekend, in amongst serving and chatting to customers. I played with Kays new stamps for a while, and I notice Debbie has been playing with them too. Very nice Debbie!

Rushed straight home to get in the garden to enjoy a bit of the sun, fresh air and a play with Hamish before settling down for BGT. A perfect winner! (I'd better not spoil it and say who won in case you haven't watched it yet).

Friday, 29 May 2009

Hasn't it been a lovely day! So hot and sunny here in Skipton, but... our unit is so cold that I usually wear a thermal vest, I still did today believe it or not so nothing changed there, but for the first time we didn't have to put the heating on!

A chap called in yesterday with a leaflet for air conditioning, I don't think he'll be getting an order from us anytime soon:) So escape the heat and come visit us, lol!

Today's card is made with Aspects of Design 25 Rambling 1 sheet. Ideal to use for cards for people who like walking and the countryside. The designs were drawn by a local pen and ink artist, and feature Yorkshire and Cumbrian scenes, do you recognise any of the places? It is one of the cards that featured in our Create and Craft TV show Countrylife, the products featured on the show can be found here. All the stamp sheets have appropriate wording that can be used with the images.

The image was stamped with black stazon ink and then water coloured with Tombow brush pens. The rambler and sheep were embossed with detail copper embossing powder cut out and layered onto the image with silicone glue to give a 3D effect.

The wording has been embossed onto torn heatable acetate that has been attached to the back of the card (at the sides) before it was mounted onto the green mount.

The background is made with copper, gold and green Moonshadow inks. I applied a wash over the card then added random blobs of the inks all over. I then sprinkled rock salt and table salt onto the wet ink. I left it to dry completely before taking into the garden to brush the salt away.

The result is a very textured finish as the salt has soaked up some of the inks to form patterns. Use rock salt for distinctive patterns/textures, and table salt for an aged pitted look, or, just use both!

Thursday, 28 May 2009

Had a fab day today playing with the French Country Starburst Stains. Also, played with a new idea I tried a few weeks ago that I will share when I have a photo to show. As I've mentioned before my camera is broken so when Debbie comes back from her holiday I'll ask if she can take one to show you. I'm really grateful for her doing this for me, but I know she enjoys photography and believe me her photos are much better than any I can take!

I have another couple of tag books on the go now, that makes 4 unfinished atm, as 2 other books are work in progress too.

Today's nautical card is slightly different from the others shown but another idea for Father's Day. Sorry the photo isn't very good but I hope you get the idea. It appeared in one of our first Create and Craft TV shows (more from The Stamp Man), must be a good 5 or 6 years ago now, how time flies...

I have embossed the image onto black card then painted inside with Moonglow Pigment Powders mixed with a little water. Once dry it has been sprayed with hairspray to seal. Try not to over spray as if too much is sprayed the pigment powders may run.

For the background, the black card was completely covered with a versamark ink (direct to paper style), by putting the pad to the card. I then dusted dry pigment powder all over with a dry brush to make a matching mount. Spray with hairspray to seal. The pigment powder set used is Milky Way and this technique gives another use for the powders that will coordinate with the other techniques.

Oh dear, time to go, Hamish has opened the poppers on his bed and has his head buried inside the cover and is starting to shake his bed all over the place, time to stop this game, of course it's his favourite game at the moment!

Wednesday, 27 May 2009

Busy day today, lots of mail order to send out, ordering to replenish shelves, and customers visiting. It will be a completely different day tomorrow as we have a Starburst Stain workshop, so time to play!

Another couple of cards here using the Moonshadow Inks. Again both could be Father's Day cards.

The first card shows the blob technique as the border that is a piece of white textured card that looks like leather. The base 6" square base card has been sprayed with Moonshadow Mist. I used postcards from an embellishment pack, one is mounted onto gold and copper mirri card with brads attached. I placed the reverse side of 2 postcards onto the base card, added the peel off border and detail painted the anchor before mounting the main image on top.

The second is a variation of a card I posted a few days ago, made the same way but with a different layout.

Thanks for sticking with me with this Father's Day theme! Only a couple more in the pipeline now:)

Tuesday, 26 May 2009

This is an 8" x 8" card that incorporates some of the techniques with the inks that I've mentioned before (please click on the photo for a closer look).

I misted the base card with copper and green Moonshadow Mists and added the scrunch technique using various colours as a border, and added a strip of copper mirri card over the join.

The centre mount has been given a wash of gold onto hammered card, then I dabbed the wet ink with kitchen towel to lift some of the colour away to leave paler shades. This pieces was then mounted onto copper mirri card attached with copper brads.

I stamped the script stamp with brown Stazon and tore the edges. A wash was added but with copper ink then again dabbed with kitchen towel. I then painted the edges with ink.

The main images were embossed with Moonglow 2 tone embossing powders (obsidian colours of sapphire, copper, and emerald). They were detail painted with the inks then mounted onto copper mirri card and attached with brads. The galleon is attached with silicone glue.

The wording was made the same way as the background mounts, the brads are for decorative purposes as the piece was glued into place with silicone glue.

The final touch is the driftwood/rope which I mentioned in an earlier post, (thanks Hamish!)

Monday, 25 May 2009

I found another photo of Hamish today, taken when he was a pup, he actually sat and posed for this one!

I hope you have enjoyed the Bank Holiday weekend, it's been nice and warm here, no rain so far but it looks as if it will be a storm when it comes, it's very muggy.

Nice roast beef dinner for tonight's meal then it will be settling down for the soaps and Britains Got Talent. I enjoyed last nights show and was glad that Susan and the dancers got through but sad that no-one walked off stage with that little girl, that must have been so heartbreaking for her on top of not getting through. I hope it doesn't stop her performing in future, she is a dear little girl with a beautiful voice.

I couldn't watch the gruesome man with the holes in his ears, I hope there's nothing on like that tonight, I really cannot see the point in it! YUK.

Sunday, 24 May 2009

Today's cards featured in our Country Life Create and Craft tv show this morning.

The quote on the 3rd card is embossed onto acetate with gold detail embossing powder. I have stamped them with Stazon inks (black and brown), and coloured with Tombow brush pens. I added a couple of real feathers to the last card.

Saturday, 23 May 2009

I had a lovely day today at the workshop playing with lots of messy stuff! Some of the ladies on a Skipton ATC meet called in, it sounds as if you have all had a brilliant day out too!

Here's another idea for a concertina book, this time a 4 panel book. I have embossed the scrunch technique for the covers, it adds another texture. I have incorporated gold leaf on the inside panels. I embossed onto acetate with Moonglow embossing powders (obsidians) then added double-sided sticky sheet to the back. The gold leaf was then added on the back on the sticky side.

You need to add another full piece of double-sided sticky tape to the back (adding it onto the gold leafing) as wet glue or normal DST around the edges will spoil the gold leafing. It is better to cover the whole piece and the glue will not show and will give a good finish. I then cut it out and mounted it onto gold mirri card before adding to the book on panels 2 and 4, as well as on the front cover.

The 4th panel has a card attached to it where I added a greeting. Stampman, Ian, received this for his birthday from me a few years ago, it would also be ideal for Father's Day.

Friday, 22 May 2009

Boy, oh boy, I'm VERY late posting tonight! I've been crafting all day (until 8pm tonight), I have cleaned up the mess I made in the kitchen (crafting stuff allover!), had food and packed everything up, as we have a workshop tomorrow. Had a play with Hamish (our dog) for a while, and have now finished some other things I needed to do. After this late post, that will only just squeeze its way into today, I'm heading for bed for a well deserved sleep!

Today I have been playing on a project for a workshop we're holding for the Happy Stampers North West stamping group (based on the Wirral) on 6th June. There are estimated to be 44 people, eek!! I've had ideas in my mind about what I wanted to do, so it's been nice making a start on it. I'll be showing you the project at some point I'm sure.

Just to remind you, Kay Carley has some blog candy up for grabs for one of her new stamp sheets and other crafty bits 'n pieces, it ends on 1st June, so do join in if you haven't already done so.

It's then over to me for the next blog candy with Kay for June, this time it will be Kay's Funky Frames sheet plus the extra goodies. You will need to leave your comments here for the 2nd lot of blog candy. I hope you'll not be shy and will join in!

I have plans for more blog candy in the future but I need lots of encouragement to keep offering it, the more interest and comments I get, the more blog candy I'm happy to offer:) Now that's a challenge for you!

Talking of challenges, I'll be starting something in June, I hope you'll join in with this too!

I've had a lovely email from Martha at Stampendous who was a visitor here this week, and I now have a personal challenge to honour her request! WOW!! (I hope you're not going to burst my bubble and say you ALL got one too!)

If you are waiting for more inspiration with Kay's new stamps, then fear not, it's coming! I'm sure it will be a flood of inspiration, as I tried them briefly today and have many ideas for them! Such different looks, and I'm sure the others on our design team will add some too in due course.

Thursday, 21 May 2009

I spent most of yesterday afternoon folding the papers we put in our concertina book packs. The square one isn't too bad as it is a 4 panel book, but the 6" x 4" book has 8 panels and starts with a metre long piece of paper, I folded so many... and afterwards my hands hurt, and were very shiny!

They are worth the effort though as they make super projects/gifts. If you'd like to see what we have made with them you can see more in our Gallery, click here to be taken to the main page, you will need to find the albums for Concertina Cards. If you haven't visited a picturetrail gallery before, just to help (as we have been asked before) click on the picture of the album cover you want and it will open to show more photos. I should add that it is the blank books only so you can decorate them as you want to, not particularly as we have. They are great to personalise for people with photos and relevant themes.

I never really know whether I should call them cards or books, as they are a bit too substantial to be cards, they certainly look lovely on a mantlepiece and I defy anyone to feel disappointed on receiving one as a gift. They come with instructions on how to put them together and tips to help you make them.

The book I'm showing here is one I made with Moonshadow inks and our AOD Mens unmounted stamp sheet, that would be ideal for a Fathers Day card/gift (to continue my running theme) but there are lots more ideas for them in the gallery.

I've made pockets on some of the panels that they could keep business cards in or little notes, for this one I made ATCs, you could do the same and write greetings or messages on them, or perhaps put in some small family photos in the pockets.

I cut off 2 of the panels for this one to make a 6 panel book or you could make it a four panel if time is short.

The front and back covers are made with copier paper and Moonshadow ink (the Scrunch technique), after it dried I went loopy over the surface with different ink pads (just lightly drawn across the high peaks), I sprayed it with water, scrunch it again and even embossed it. It now feels like fabric, lovely to touch, you'd never believe it was cheap copier paper!

Wednesday, 20 May 2009

As you've probably gathered by now, I LOVE these stamps! So that you can LOVE them too, we have decided to continue an offer that we have run at shows recently as a Show Special. All 3 wood mounted stamps are normally £25.10 but we are offering them for £21.50!

P & P is free on orders over £10, so £21.50 is the total price, unless anything else happens to slip into your shopping basket!

If you are a new visitor, and need some ideas with them you will find the cards I've already shown here listed in the labels section on the RHS. (Click on the photo to get a closer look!).

If you are tempted, please click here to go straight to the page in our shop.

Tuesday, 19 May 2009

Here are 2 more cards made with the AOD Nautical stamps. Sorry about the camera glare from the Mirri board!

CARD 1The background of card 1 was made by taking some of the ink from the jar and diluting with water in a palette.

If you have a nearly empty jar of ink you could top it up to keep it going a bit longer, it is surprising how much ink and mica there is at the bottom that could be refreshed. Making and using paler shades adds another easily achievable look and looks lovely with the other techniques you use for the inks. While the ink was still wet I added sea salt and left it to air dry (giving the salt time to draw up the ink).

I embossed and coloured the main image, layering 3 of the elements in the design to add dimension. I also used some of the vintage cord I made with the inks.

The 'driftwood' is a piece of twig that Hamish (our dog) brought in with him, so unkind of me to steal the wood he's hunted down isn't it! But better for me to use it than for him to eat it! I fixed this into place with silicone glue.

I mounted the greeting on a chippie label that had been sprayed with Moonshadow Inks. It is attached to the card with some nautical looking ribbon from the shop.

CARD 2Sorry about the glare! (This one is really bright!!)

Similar to the previous card but with coloured card as the background. I've embossed the designs with Moonglow embossing powders (obsidans).

The driftwood and cord is attached to a metal rimmed card tag sprayed with Moonshadow Ink.

Monday, 18 May 2009

I set Debbie a bit of a challenge and asked her if she could make something with the Moonglow Mica Pigment Powders, Debbie has the Milky Way set and the blues and purples. These have been used with some of Kay's designs.

I popped over to have a look at her blog yesterday and caught a sneaky peek, I nearly sneaked away so as not to spoil the surprise! But I did stay and left a message.

I was puzzled as to what it could be, it certainly wasn't a card, I expected it to be a card when I set the challenge. It is absolutely fantastic and must have taken hours to make. I bet it WAS very fiddly to make too! To give you an idea of the size, the alcohol ink painted shrink plastic buttons are only about 1" wide, so it is a small box, perhaps 3" tall! The butterflies are attached with acetate and exploded out when I removed the lid, this is certainly an exploding box with a difference!

It really is so pretty and well made. I've asked permission to show it here on The Stamp Man blog too. Isn't blogging wonderful when you can share stuff like this. I'll leave it to Debbie to tell you more about it on her blog Made with Love, the link is on the RHS.

Sunday, 17 May 2009

The background of this card was made with one of the green Moonshadow Inks, I used textured card that had not been used that was in one of the fill with as much you can fit in for a tenner boxes. As it was so textured it hadn't been one I'd normally stamp on but is ideal for background techniques. I gave it a wash with the ink and left it to dry, the mica has fallen into the grooves leaving a lovely effect.

The scroll was made from thin card, I applied the ink onto it with first a wash, then drizzled the ink on top using a detail paint brush. The piece was then wound around cocktail sticks at each end. I made some holes and threaded through some white cord that I'd coloured with the inks to give it a vintage feel.

The galleon was detailed painted, cut out and layered with silicone glue. The wording piece of card was torn and I painted round the edges to give it more definition. The brads were attached and the piece was again attached with silicone glue.

With Father's Day coming soon I will be showing more cards that may help with ideas. I thought this would be a suitable card. I used the Aspects of Design Nautical stamp sheet that has a Happy Father's Day stamp on it that I will be showing another time.

Saturday, 16 May 2009

Had a great day today, feeling lots better, it was brilliant in fact as I sat and played all day as we held a workshop today with Jill Boulton as teacher, it was nice to be told what to do rather than running the workshop. There were 3 Jills in the class which was unusual! We played with the cuttlebug, spotlight stamping , colouring with bleach, made a puzzle card with alcohol inks (the new lights colours) and decorated a frame with foil and alcohol inks.

I thought you may like to see some other cards made with mica pigment powders so here are more made with Aspects of Design stamps and the Moonglow powders that featured in some of our earlier Create & Craft shows.

Friday, 15 May 2009

I separated the 6 colours in the Outback set into 2 sets, using the lime green, green and blue together and the yellow, rust and browny copper to give a metallic finish. As I mentioned in the instructions, I've reduced the price of this set for a while so you can try it at a good price. Click here to go straight to the page on our website. The other items I have used are available on our website too. Pop over to Debbie's Blog (Made With Love, link on RHS) she has made a beautiful tag with mica powders.

I'm starting with a cold urgh! I've been feeling it coming on all week and I'm battling with my sore throat and woolly head, so been a bad day and I should have just stayed in bed. I have just lost a long email order that will need retyping (thanks BT!) I had printed it out before hitting the send button but it's only printed half a page so I'll have to rethink the whole order again. Rant over, (unless I end up loosing this as well, then I'll really scream!). I'm going to post the cards separately just in case...

OK, here we go with those mica pigment powder instructions I mentioned yesterday. I demonstrated this at a show last weekend, it is not a new technique but one I decided to revisit and I thoroughly enjoyed playing with this technique again, it is very quick to do, so instant gratification! Unfortunately my camera is still broken so I cannot give step by step photos. Thanks to Debbie for taking these.

Stamps - solid stamps are probably a better choice than thin lined stamps as you get more of an impact of the technique

METHODRub the anti-static bag over the card.

Ink the stamp with Versamark ink and stamp onto the card.

Take a small amount of powder from the jar with the dry detail paint brush and very gently lay it onto the wet image. It needs a very gentle touch as you don't want to smear the ink, I prefer to think of it as gliding over the card, pushing it lightly over the image. Tap any excess on the brush back into the jar and try another colour.

If your brush is too loaded with powder then dot some of the excess on another part of the image.

Once the image is covered, very gently and lightly swipe the blusher type brush over the image to ensure that all the ink is covered and the colours have blended.

Tap off any excess in the bin. I did try saving the excess bits in a tub once and all you end up with is brown, so basically try not to use too much powder when applying it, you really don't need much at all.

Remove any loose bits of mica by again gently passing the anti-static cloth over the card until there are no bits left around the image.

Give the card a short spray with hairspray, you don't need much at all and if you spray too much it makes the colours run.

Thursday, 14 May 2009

I hope Kay won't shoot me for this but today I'm showing you the 3 cards I made from the artwork last week for the Port Sunlight show. I didn't have the actual stamps but I think they give of an idea of how lovely the stamps are when they are coloured.

I sneaked in the Stampendous Agapanthus Bloom stamp as a background on vellum on the first card (embossed in white detail) and also made use of one of the alcohol ink/shrink plastic flowers Debbie made for me on the butterfly card.

Mr Stamp Man (Ian) has mounted my set of stamps onto EZ Mount and cut them out for me so looking forward to playing with the real thing now. We've been busy so it doesn't look like I'll get much chance to play today.

Debbie has posted a new tag on her blog, apparently I'm telling you how to use the pigment powders tomorrow, lucky I was going to anyway! Debbie, Debbie, Debbie, what are we going to do with you!! It's OK, there's no need to resign!! (We'll put you on tea making or peel off tidying for the next week instead. Tee hee:))

I'm sure we'll have more cards of Kay's new stamps soon. If you have the stamp sheets, we'd love to see what you do with them (umm, dare I say anything naughty Ladylace C!!)

Wednesday, 13 May 2009

Jo commented on Monday's card that it reminded her of silk, it did me too. Well, today I'm showing a card that actually is made with silk.

After an afternoon of using the inks my kitchen was in need of a good cleaning up. I had been spraying the mists on the draining board, it had dried on there and it looked very colourful. I couldn't bring myself to just swill it all down the sink, too wasteful, so I sprayed the draining board and some silk with water then mopped it all up!

I have to confess that my hands were very messy so you might want to wear gloves if you try this and also, it would have been more sensible to have been misting on my craft sheet in the first place (but I was using it for other things), so I learned the lesson and now have more than one craft sheet!!

The things we do!

Anyway, I left it on the draining board to dry after sprinking on some sea salt as you can do when silk painting (the salt draws up the ink). I cleaned up the rest of the kitchen and packed all my craft stuff away before taking the dried piece of silk outside to brush off the salt. I was quite impressed with the result. Sadly the colours from the mica were lost but the silk had taken a lovely vintage look and created a lovely soft background. I mounted the silk onto a piece of card to make it sturdier for the card, using DST placed at the back of the card so I could fold all the edges behind it.

I have been colouring white organza ribbon and other things with inks for years, for example, I couldn't find vintage looking ribbon so I made my own, I guess this follows on quite nicely. My friend Rosaline had the patience to cut out and decoupage the topper for me and even added some real feathers to the ladies hat (many thanks Rosaline).

I used some burgundy organza ribbon with the vintage ribbon to finish the card.

I just LOVE experimenting with stuff, I call it research and development, but really it's just playing with a product to see what I/it can do with what I have to hand. Recently it seems to have been what I've found to use in my kitchen cupboards! So please do play, there's really nothing major to be scared of, usually it's only a bit of card and ink. It is so rewarding to make something new to you on a blank piece of card or in this case a piece of silk.

Tuesday, 12 May 2009

The other bit of news I have today is to let you know that we will have all the new stamp sheets in stock tomorrow, I cannot wait to get my hands on that box! We should be able to get all the orders for them out tomorrow.

I'm sure my set will be mounted onto EZ mount in the blink of an eye. Watch out for some cards made with them very soon...

Pop over to Kay's blog (link on the RHS), to enter yourself for Kay's 1st blog candy. The prize is one of Kay's new stamp sheets, Aspects of Design 56 - Funky Flowers plus a selection of bits and pieces. You have until the end of the month to enter. Good luck!!

Monday, 11 May 2009

It has the scrunch technique at the side (that I'll explain another time) and shows how the blobs dry when this technique is used with the stains instead of the Moonshadow Inks.

I embossed the plum blossom first randomly all over the piece of card then added blobs of the stain and let them blend together. Some of the stain has caught in the embossed design. This gives a different finish rather than embossing onto a piece of ready prepared stained card.

Sunday, 10 May 2009

We're back from the Port Sunlight show and still shattered, it was a very busy show. Thanks to everyone who visited our stand, it was lovely chatting to everyone. In amongst the chatting I did actually do some demonstrating and was able to show everyone Kay's new stamp sheets (even though the actual rubber didn't arrive in time).

As you probably know, our stamps are VERY deeply etched and we have special plates made for us. The plates that arrived on Thursday were just normal ones, well that wasn't good enough, and we felt it important to wait to get them how we really like them.

We should have them sometime this week, (I hope to get some news tomorrow), so I've now added them to our website for pre-order if you wish to order them now. Here's the link that will take you straight to the page. As is normal, you will not be charged until we actually despatch your order. If you pre-order them we can send them out as soon as they arrive.

I did make 3 cards from the artwork to take to the show, they look so pretty when coloured in. I finished them late on Thursday night along with others that I made that were relevant to what I was demonstrating, so a VERY late night! I finally managed to get those table cloths ironed on Friday morning before we set off.

In the rush to leave I forgot to pick up the info about the hotel we were staying in and as the normal hotel was fully booked, I'd booked a different one and couldn't remember where it was! After we had set up for the show we went shopping to a local supermarket for water, papers and bananas etc. Watched 2 people losing their marbles ranting at the lottery counter, I couldn't understand why there was such a long queue or why people were getting so het up about getting a ticket, then Ian told me about the Euro lottery, and no we didn't bother getting a ticket so a missed opportunity there (perhaps?) anyhow, the crowd was far too rowdy to bother. Anyway, back to our problem, we stopped off at the place we normal stay to ask for details of others in the area in the same chain and of course, I couldn't get away with our problem not being found out, Janice and Andy, from Sir Stampalot were in the queue to check in, so fessed up about what I had done. We found the right hotel easily so all was well.

Looking forward to catching up with you tomorrow Kay and we can organise the blog candy, just need to sort out the piccies and we're ready to go... I'm sure you'll agree that Kay's new designs are lovely, there was positive feedback from customers at the show, I think they are her best so far!

It's going to be a busy day tomorrow unpacking stock from the show and catching up with everything. It'll be nice to get it all back in its place and back to normal.

Saturday, 9 May 2009

Morning everyone! As Jill is busy today at the Port Sunlight show I thought I'd take over!! It's been a hectic few days for me and for Jill too - for different reasons though as we have both had different things going on - Jill has been busy preparing for the show and I've been frantic with deadlines so for the last few days we haven't been talking to each other!! Not because we've fallen out, I hasten to add, but just because we haven't had the time. So I have absolutely no idea if the new stamp sheets are going to make an appearance at the show today or not! I am really hoping that they do. I probably won't be catching up with Jill until next week as she will be busy after the show so if anyone goes to this show and stops by The Stamp Man's stand perhaps you can let me know if the stamps made it?

Next week Jill is hoping to load up the new designs onto the website so for those of you who weren't able to make the show you'll be able to buy them online very soon and for those of you who live down south I will be demonstrating with these stamp sheets at The Craft Barn's Extravaganza Weekend so you will be able to see them there.

Jill and I are also going to be giving away some blog candy very soon too - just as soon as we start communicating again(!) - which will include one of the new stamp sheets so do keep checking both here and over at my blog too as we will be giving away different sheets!

Thursday, 7 May 2009

We are more or less packed ready for the Port Sunlight show (Wirral) on Saturday. The show is ticket only, so please don't turn up without a ticket!! The shop is looking a bit raided but there is still loads there if you visit on Saturday, Debbie and Helen will be there between 11am - 4pm. I've still got ironing to do before we set off tomorrow, including the table cloths (I still haven't done them Frankie!) I don't think it will be done tonight now.

Only a quick post tonight as I'm busy making more cards for Saturday. I've finished 4 so far, more on the go, and one is made with a new technique that I will be demonstrating.

I've got everything crossed for Kay's new stamps arriving in time! But if you are there I will at least be able to show you the full sheets of designs if they don't. I cannot wait to play with them!

If you are at the show, please come and say hello!

I'm not likely to be able to post tomorrow or Saturday but will try to keep up my (so far) daily posts. For now, here's a card I have made using the blob technique I detailed yesterday, I've used Mystic Malachite Moonshadow Ink for the background and the topper is from Joanna Sheen's Fashion Boutique CD.

Wednesday, 6 May 2009

The card shows the blob technique on hammered card (the side panel). I picked this photograph as it shows the hammered texture of the card quite well.

Use a large brush and cover the piece of card completely, covering all the white, don't worry about getting perfect lines as you will add blobs of ink randomly all over this initial wash. Don't worry if your wash looks pale, this is good, as it gives a light background to the blobs you add later, giving even more dimension.

Move the card around so the blobs run a little. Dip a detail paint brush into the wet ink on the card and pull out the ink to create little channels so that the wet ink flows into them. You can also make little dots with the paint brush. Play until you are happy with it. If you really want to go to town, you can blow the ink around (gently!) through a straw.

Leave the card to air dry if possible as it will give the ink and mica time to separate on the card. It should dry in about 1/2 hour to one hour depending on how wet it is. If you can't wait that long, leave as long as you can then finish off with a heat gun. I usually make lots of backgrounds with various techniques and leave them drying around the kitchen tops until I run out of room! I then start drying the driest first with a heat gun just to finish them off before making a lovely pile to use later!

If you heat it with your heat gun straightaway it will give an overall shimmery effect, which does make a nice background too, but less dramatic!

Tuesday, 5 May 2009

OK, the card I want to show tonight is one I made with Buccaneer Bay Blue Moonshadow Ink and the Dragonfly Music design from our Aspects of Design 3 - Botanical stamp sheet. Click here to see the full sheet of designs

I wanted to make a start showing some techniques that you can use with both Moonshadow Inks and Starburst Stains.

Dry Paper StippleI applied a wash for the background panel with the inks and a large brush onto A4 card (use smooth or textured card). I then crumpled up some plain old copier paper and stippled the still wet ink all over to create a pattern before it dried, the patterns will form more obviously when it is in that in between stage of wet and dry. Just keep going until you are happy with the pattern, picking up the wet ink to stipple on dry areas.

I sprayed the next layer onto another A4 piece of card with the same ink to create a matching contrast to the previous panel.

When it had dried I embossed the image with Moonglow Midnight Gold Obsidian embossing powder which gives a two-tone gold/black effect. The gold has a slightly different shade to normal gold embossing powder which I like for this type of work as you get a more defined outline for the stamped image with it having black in it as well, but still get the wow factor from using gold IYSWIM!

I've then detail painted the design adding the odd blob from the detail paint brush for extra shimmeriness. While you still have ink on your large brush, wipe on the side of a palette with the brush which will add a little paint into your palette, it will allow you to detail paint without having to stir up the mica from the bottom of a large jar, or apply some ink from the brush to a non-stick craft sheet or piece of acetate (which also act as non-absorbent palettes). You will still need to stir the ink on the palette/mat though, it is just a cleaner and easier way of doing it.

You can try blotting the painted image with kitchen towel while it is wet to lift some of the ink to give a blended faded effect.

I've then layered it up using black card and black brads onto an A5 card. It is not an overdressed card, simple with the effects of the Moonshadow Ink being the main focus.

Monday, 4 May 2009

A couple more simple Wedding card ideas using the other wedding stamp sheet. The lace hearts are stamped with Brilliance ink pads and the other has been embossed with Moonglow Imperial Crown Purple Gold which has a lovely 2-tone effect.

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